Rapidly learning the strokes

For the past two years, the Missouri Canoe and Kayak Club didn’t go on its annual beginner’s trip to the Spring River in Arkansas because of a lack of interest. But with an increase in participation this year, the club will be returning to Arkansas.

However, before new members can go on the river, they get help at pool practice sessions every Sunday at the pool in the MU Student Recreation Complex.

The third practice session on Sunday offered a good platform for instructors to teach those considering the trip the basics in preparation for river training on the weekend of Oct. 13 in Arkansas.

“The ultimate goal of this club is to get people to paddle and feel comfortable,” MUCK Vice President John Holdemire said. “Step one is teaching the basic strokes in the pool session. Step two is taking them on the river and teaching them the skills to be good on it.”

There has been strong interest from new members who want to get experience on an actual whitewater river. MUCK President Steve Witzig, who founded the club in 2001 and organized the Arkansas clinic for three years, said the club has seen the best turnout ever.

“We have more exposure now than we have ever had in the past,” Witzig said. “It’s great to have new people come out and show an interest in the sport.”

Peter Nagel, a three-year member and veteran of four past trips with MUCK members, is an instructor at the pool sessions and will be attending the trip to Arkansas. He said the two main goals of the sessions are to instruct the students on proper stroke technique and to teach them how to perform a roll, which he said was extremely important on a river.

“Once you know how to roll, you will feel comfortable doing everything else in a kayak,” Nagel said.

In addition to the basics, safety and rescue is a crucial part of the pool sessions. For example, Nagel and other instructors taught newcomers how to do an exercise called the hip snap, where kayakers had to capsize their boats and then practice rolling their boats upright. He said this is essential when completing a roll or any type of rescue.

Witzig said it’s vital that people who want to get involved with kayaking learn from certified instructors.

“Kayaking can be a dangerous sport, but with the right preparation, instruction, and practice, you can minimize the risks involved,” Witzig said.

Crystal Brazle, a new member who is planning to go on the clinic trip, attended her third pool session on Sunday and said she thinks she has learned a lot.

“The instructors here are good at teaching technique and helping you get the strokes down,” Brazle said. “It’s nice to get people who know what they’re doing to teach you.”

Once on the river, the 10 to 12 participants who have practiced in pool sessions will get a chance to learn basic river safety, paddle strokes, and white-water maneuvers such as ferrying across the river and surfing waves firsthand.

“The best part about the clinic is seeing the new members’ progress so quickly,” Witzig said. “There is only so much you can do in a pool class, so the river really allows the students to apply the skills in a real setting.”

Holdemire, who received his teaching certification from the American Canoe Association and helped plan the clinic this year, will be making his first trip to Spring River and will be the lead instructor. The group will spend most of Oct. 14 and some of Oct. 15 on the river, and will even run some of the river’s smaller rapids.

“The river is nothing crazy, but it does provide a good platform for the kids to get a good handle on whitewater kayaking so they can go on other actual whitewater trips,” Holdemire said.

Witzig, who taught the beginner’s clinic in past years but is unable to go this year, said the river is perfect for training exercises.

“It’s swift moving water and there are a number of river features that we take advantage of when teaching,” Witzig said.

The trip will not only serve as a learning experience, but also as a chance to develop new friendships. Holdemire said the social aspect is another big part of the clinic and kayaking in general.

“Whenever you paddle with people, there is a special bond because everybody knows that everybody is going through the same thing out on the river,” Holdemire said.

For those making the trip for the first time like Brazle, Holdemire said that meeting other members of the large group of people who are interested in kayaking is just another perk.

“I’m really excited for the trip, not just because of the social aspect, but because we’ll get to become better whitewater kayakers,” Brazle said.

In addition to the new bonds that will be made among club members, the clinic and kayaking in general serves as an adventure for those who participate in it.

”It’s an escape from the mundane everyday lives for people of all ages and professions,” Holdemire said. “It’s relaxing and it’s kind of addicting. There is a great sense of accomplishment of being in control of your boat and going down a rapid.”